NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows

NARS Private Screening Fall 2015 brings some outstanding limited edition products worth highlighting. The first is Tribulation Blush, a glowing nude. This makes a beautiful skin-finishing highlighter on many skintones or can be worn as a nude blush on those in the NC10-25 range. It’s so unique, I don’t know of any other blushes that come close to Tribulation. The finish is so gorgeous.

NARS Private Screening Fall 2015 also includes two new, limited edition shades of the Dual Intensity Eyeshadows: Pasiphae and Telesto. Frequent readers of this blog know that I am head-over-heels for this format. Pasiphae is a extraordinary, unusual shade that evokes the many complex colors of a peacock feather. Telesto is a shimmering brown with a slightly metallic edge.

These products can be used to give a glowy, intense gorgeous Fall look.

The geniuses at NARS have released a palette of a selected number of their incredible dual-intensity eyeshadows–the Narsissist Dual-Intensity Palette ($79) (limited edition). This lovely palette comes in a modern, minimal shape with a mirrored top (as well as a full size mirror inside the case). This formula was previously reviewed here. Available at Nars online and Saks Fifth Avenue. This one is limited edition, so please don’t wait long.

This palette includes:

Europa – Gossamer Pink Peach

Himalia – Shimmering Topaz

Ursa Major – Chocolate Glaze

Subra – Black Orchid

Andromeda – Alabaster

Lysithea – Shark Grey

Giove – Navy

Sycorax – Black

A closer look at the four left shades– Europa, Himalia, Andromeda, Lysithea:

The four right shades– Ursa Mijor, Subra, Giove and Sycorax.

As you likely know, the formula can be used dry for a more subtle effect, or wet for more intensity. As you can see from this previous post, this formula has gorgeous dimension. The pigment plays with the light in a lovely, flattering way. Here are the shades applied dry:

Another set:

Here are the shades applied wet:

Another set applied wet:

I think that the colors for this palette are extremely well-chosen. This palette includes a lovely range–from glowy light colors to deep ones that can be used as a liner or crease. I just love the way that this formula catches the light. It relies on a thin, impact-full formula. Drama with elegance–not glitter! Just that beautiful, pearly sheen.

Overall, I love the fact that those who do not want to invest in several singles can get a great selection in a single package. There is a range of neutrals, but enough beautiful jewel-deep colors that can be used for chic drama. With both wet and dry application options, this makes a beautiful option to add beautiful interest to the eyes.

Here is an entire line of the new formula NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows ($29 each/0.05 oz.), which has a mix of a unique texture, wearable colors with a touch of NARS-edge, and gorgeous reflectivity. I’m posting this from Colorado using pictures that I took in the drought-million-degree temperatures of California, and playing with these shadows every day as I ready myself for a day of conferencing. Part of this is my excitement of this new line, and the other part is that I genuinely love you all and don’t want you to miss out on these beautiful new shadows. These are currently available at NARS online, Neiman Marcus, Barney’s New York, Bloomingdales andNordstrom. The shade names have a celestial inspiration, which is appropriate given that these resemble stars. What is difficult to understand from a single static image of the line is the amazing way that these eyeshadow interact with changes in light, and yet still retain their ability to hold onto their beautiful color. So my reviews of these shadows will include more pictures than usual to convey how they look when you are holding and using them. All shadows are in the same order as they are in the pictures above: According to the line, these shades can be applied dry for a sheer finish, or wet for more intensity. All swatches in this post are dry, and in many cases with a few swipes. So you can see that you do not have to use these wet to get intense colors. With many, I got intense color with a soft brush and a single pass. The other aspect of these is how beautifully these shadows coordinate together. I put together a few “quads” (groups of four) without much thought, hoping to show that these are a well-thought out set of colors that integrate well together. Here’s a mix of cools and warms: I love the way that these colors play off of each other for a beautiful mix: This mix has two metallic shades–Dione and Himalia-which are extraordinary accent colors that will coordinate well with the satins and mattes that you likely already have in your collection. Here are some sets of swatches of all shades. First up is the satiny, complex black NARS Syncorax and the deep starry navy Giove that has pink-purple reflects. This set also includes two ephemeral highlight shades, which primarily reflect color. Cassiopeia reflects pink, and Andromeda reflects a soft gold similar to the NARS Alabaster highlighter for face. Swatches: Another: Here is another set. It was important to me to swatch the last three shades (Subra, Phoebe and Desdemona) together, because there are some similarities looking at their pans in that there are violets/mauves/purples throughout all. As you can see, on the skin they are completely different. First is the soft peach-with-a-touch-of-pink Europa, a beautiful highlight shade that is a smoother version of many soft highlight shades. NARS Subra Here are the swatches (please note that these are a different order than the picture, above, but properly labeled in all pictures). You might click on this one to enlarge it so that you can see the complexity of these shades.

Another, slightly tiling away from the (blazing!) sun. Of these, shimmery Phoebe changes the most when moved in the light:

One more:

Finally! The gorgeous metallic shades. These will not look “soft and buttery” in their pans but let me tell you that if you place a brush on these and sweep them across your lid these are heaven. The pigment is highly layer able, so if you want a subtle “sheen” on your lid, do a single sweep (use a soft neutral matte in the crease, and you have an amazing eye). You can layer these up to full metallic intensity if you keep building them up. On my eye, I do one or two sweeps. For evening and on my arm, I built up three to four layers.All of the above shades have the same metallic qualities. Nars Callisto has soft pink/mauve undertones and pairs well with Phoebe and Subra. NARS Himalia and Dione are currently both killing it with soft golden tones. Himalia is more of a soft true gold, and Dione is a “cool gold.” Because I have been searching for years to find a pretty cool gold, I’m delighted to see it in this collection. NARS Lysithea is a remarkable silver with a slight sage tint, which looks remarkably good on warm tones (and of course is made for cool skin tones as well). Lysithea looks amazing with Sycorax smudged into the lash line, by the way. If you think that all of these look too good to choose between them, you are right. In my opinion, you need them all. They are different enough that they aren’t really substitutes. If you have to cut out one, I’d get Dione if you have cool skin tone, and Himalia for warm. Yet I am not taking my own advice, because I’ve worn Dione for several days and I cannot seem to stop (I have warm skin tones). More: Tilted away from the California sun: The NARS dual intensity metallics change the most in the light. Here are the same swatches in shade, you can see that these are far more subtle: Overall, I adore these. They are all winners, honestly. The question is going to be which to get first, and when to get the rest. I’m going to keep playing with these and update with another post focusing on the individual shades.